Dr. Nunley's Biz-Tips
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Long sales letters are one of the most effective forms of direct advertising. The truly interested prospect wants as much information as she can get before buying. Before you mail off your next five-page sales letter, think about replacing it with a sharp 20-page booklet. Both take only five sheets of paper, cost the same to print, and can be mailed with a single stamp. Take five sheets of paper, fold them over like a book, and you've got the template for your 20-page booklet. Many word processing programs will allow you to set the words and "Click Book" is designed especially for booklet making. Use a thicker, colored paper for a nice looking cover. Staple the edge for a binding. People get sales letters all the time and think nothing of tossing them in the trash. A booklet looks more valuable and expensive. This is especially true if you pack it with information the prospect will want to keep for future reference. Be sure to include one or more pages with order forms that customers can tear our and send.
What's the easiest way to make more money? Charge more. Higher rates are almost always the key to bigger profits. But what about people who say, "I can get this cheaper elsewhere"? If you're selling a product, it's hard to argue against the customer going with a competitor who has the exact same product at a lower price. It's a very different story with a service. No two businesses provide the same service the same way. Point out how you take more time, pay more attention, have a record of higher quality, work faster, include additional features, or are more reliable and trustworthy. Since the "your price is too high" objection is probably the most common, have your selling points ready ahead of time. Sometimes the same person who thinks your price is high will also balk at a lower price because they worry about the level of quality. When selling products, point to your service as an extra, valuable factor earning a higher price.
Although we often think of the neat features that come with our products and services, that's not what customers think about. A customer first considers the way those features will improve their life. They look for the benefits they will get from the product or service. It saves time, reduces work, is good for relaxation, makes more money, or makes them look good in front of friends. Think of all the benefits a customer will get from your product or service and pile them on. Make a list--a long list--of all the ways you improve a customer's life or business. Put your pile of benefits right up front in all your marketing and advertising. Be quick to mention them, explain them, and dwell on them during sales pitches both in person and on the phone. Sometimes you can use a friend or another customer as an example. "When George took the Gizmo 2500 home he made enough cookies to share with the entire neighborhood. And George can't cook! Everybody was amazed."
Media people will be the first to tell you, "Advertising is good, but nothing sells like a recommendation from someone you know." Sales people call this a referral. Many smart businesses get most of their new customers from referrals. A while back a woman emailed asking a good place to get postcards printed. I told her about one place I knew of that specialized in post cards. A few weeks later I got a small check from the printer. The woman had mentioned my referral and the printer had included me in a simple referral reward plan. Will I refer the printer again? You bet. Think of ways you can encourage others to send new clients your way. Reward them for their referral. It can be a monetary reward or a simple note or phone call thanking them. In a world that revolves on personal relationships, getting others to tell friends and associates about you is often the most important key to building new business.
Business is still based a great deal on writing. Memos, sales letters, proposals, email messages, and web sites are an important way of selling products and services. Most of us don't consider ourselves great writers. Sitting down to write a sales letter can feel like trying to complete an English assignment in High School. As Mark Twain once wrote, "You try to write but it just won't go." Writing experts say it's best to write like you talk. Talking is a very natural thing for people to do. Start by talking through your information. Make a short list of the points you want to cover in your written message. Go in a room, close the door, and start telling an invisible person about the points you have on paper. Write down what you're saying. Don't worry about making it correct writing. Save that for when you've finished. You can go back over what you've written and polish it up. If you don't like to write or don't have time for it, take your notes to a writer who can turn them into effective prose. You can find writers through local writing cubs, newspapers, and colleges.
Would it help your business if you were a "nationally known expert" in your field? Well known experts get respect, higher fees, and their word often sells lots of products and services. If you're only an expert on a very specialized subject, all the better. You're probably an expert in something already. If not, I'll be you're an almost-expert. What part of your business do you know a lot about? Base your specialized area of expertise on what you know and love. Make a few phone calls to get more information. Go to your local library and look up some articles or books on your subject. Peruse the Internet to find articles and web sites on your topic. Look for answers on pressing problems that concern people in your business. In no time you'll be super-informed. Now spread the word about your knowledge. Write a short article for a trade publication. Give a talk. Put up a web site. Let others know you're there for questions.
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